Your best studio tour ever goals have been simmering, and you are ready to put some structure around them.
Your goals are your destination...your daily activities are the vehicle to get you there.
Today, we are going to create the framework that you will be following over the next 10 weeks using your goals as your north star. So, take a deep breath, and before you move on, grab your goal list that you defined in the last article.
Let's go over each goal and come up with a set of tasks that will help you reach it. Write the first goal at the top of a blank page. Take a few minutes and list everything that needs to happen to get you there.
I'm going to use the goals that I extracted from my best show in the last article...
GOAL 1: Patrons Easily Connect With Artwork
How I will get there...
Task 1: Clearly write labels for each piece of art.
Task 2: Write a story about each piece of artwork that helps viewers understand how it came to be.
GOAL 2: Sell 2 Large Paintings
How I will get there...
Task 1: Make sure that all of my collectors know about the event.
Subtask 1: Facebook Event
Subtask 2: Email Newsletter
Subtask 3: Event Postcard
Subtask 4: Handwritten Letter to my Top 20% of Collectors
Subtask 5: Save the Date Postcard
GOAL 3: Guests Artists Sell Work
How I will get there...
Task 1: Create a Feature Area in my Studio Highlighting Guest Artist Work
LET'S GET SPECIFIC
Now that you’ve figured out what you need to do to get to your goals, you need to get SPECIFIC. For each task under each goal, let’s assign a date and include any additional info that you need in order to complete the tasks. This may seem tedious. You may be rolling your eyes. You may even be tempted to skip over this part. Please don't. This is where the magic happens. This is where things get done. Just do it.
I am going to give you an example of how to break down each task for each goal. Please do this for every task that you listed in the above exercise. IMPORTANT: Everything gets assigned a deadline.
My 1st Goal: Patrons easily connect to artwork.
Task 1: Clearly label each piece of art. DEADLINE - One Week Before Tour
Pull up database with artwork and create labels for each piece that include: Title, Size, Medium, Artist (https://www.artbizblog.com/creditartwork/)
HINT - A huge timesaver is to sign up for an inventory management system such as Artwork Archive. They offer a great feature that allows you to select the art you are showing and automatically print labels for all of your work
Task 2: Write a story about each piece of artwork that helps viewers understand how it came to be. DEADLINE: 2 Weeks Before Tour
Set aside time to write rough drafts for all of your artwork. Set a timer for 5 minutes per artwork and write from the heart. Put the rough drafts away for at least a day.
Come back to your drafts and edit. Try to have a finished story for each piece. They don't need to be long, but make them meaningful, funny, heartfelt, etc.
Wrap it up and Put a Bow On It
Once you've completed the breakdown for each task, add them to your calendar. Now, you have clear visual of what you need to do to get there. You're a marketing machine! Stick to the plan, attack one task at a time, and automate whenever possible!
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Here are some resources to help keep you organized...
10 WEEK MARKETING PLAN CHECKLIST (click link to download)
SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT IDEAS (click link to download)
Resources:
ArtworkArchive.com - use this link to get $10 credit (I'll get one too!)
Canva.com for creating graphics for social media and anything else.
Approved County Studio Tour Graphics to Use in Marketing
Up Next - Part III - Working With your Local Artists to Create a Destination that Attracts Tour Visitors
Previous - Part I - You've Been Accepted, Now What?